Pause after India...

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Having left India and now in Sri Lanka I just wanted to pause for thought before I tell you about this next leg of the journey.
Every now and again on my journey I'll be walking along and I'll forget where I am until I see something that reminds me of which place I'm in. In India this has happened a few times, until I look up and see a cow in the middle of the road or walking along the beach!
At first these things are a novelty or, like the poverty, a bit of a shock and then after a while you start to ignore or get used to these images. However I never want to feel comfortable or use to the sight of a child being fed off of the road from scraps out of the bin. The image of a child walking up to you, wide-eyed, palm out, begging for a rupee, barefoot in threadbare clothes is not something to get use to. I found myself wanting to turn away at first, to look the other way makes it more comfortable to handle and the thought, "what can I do anyway?" enters your head. It's far easier to just move on, forget these sights, not mention these bits of the journey, go somewhere more pleasant, less smelly and more scenic, but thankfully I didn't turn away. I want these images etched in my memory. Not that realistically one person can do anything, a few rupees may help one child for the next few hours that day but then you do move on and then what?....
All I can do is give that child some acknowledgment here in print and do the people I saw the honour of thinking of them when I return home. I know it's easy to say (and maybe sounds patronising and self righteous) but I can at least try to remember. It's hard when you've been born into a totally different world of never being without but it is important to appreciate what you have and to stop and think.
I'm not preaching or telling anyone else what they need to think about, I'm just sharing some of my thoughts. All of this is nothing new to me I feel I've always been pretty grounded it's just been a reminder to think....
.... think when you throw out food as it's one day past it's expiry date,
or when you waste food and throw it away because you don't feel like it now, or order so much food in a restaurant because your eyes are bigger than your belly and leave half of it. We waste so much, food not eaten, clothes never worn, toiletries never used in the back of the bathroom cabinet and on and on. I just would like to think that I can as much as possible stop and pause.....

On leaving the old peoples home I was sad to say goodbye and hope that they get another volunteer there soon as they really look forward to the company and were a pleasure to be with these past few weeks. I thought I'd put this picture of one of the old ladies who was particularly kind and lovely to be around. The girl in the picture is Reikha, the young girl from the project who came with me each day. I felt for her because she is desperate to be a teacher but doesn't have the money to finish her studies. If she can get a job though she can qualify through experience so I hope this happens for her one day soon.
I had a really lovely last few days in India, mainly due to the friends I've made there and hope to see most of you again in the future one in Thailand and two in Australia so it'll be great to catch up. I just have to do a personal thank you to Rishi for the most surreal moment so far, singing to us going through the streets of Mumbai what a voice!! Here's hoping you make it big one day Rishi Rish.
So it's goodbye India and hello to Sri Lanka, but more about that next time, Karen. x

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Photos

The lone helmet
I never once saw anyone wear a helmet in India so was particularly amused to see this guy wearing one in the restaurant!